What Brackish Design Studio Inc. does

Brackish Design Studio Inc. is a privately held boutique landscape architecture practice founded in 2019 by Matthew A.J. Brown and Sandra A. Cooke, operating from offices in Saint John, New Brunswick and Halifax, Nova Scotia. The firm delivers professional landscape architecture services across two service lines: residential commissions for high-net-worth private clients (estates, coastal retreats, vineyards) and public/institutional commissions for municipal, cultural, and federal clients. Notable disclosed projects include the Riverview Recreation Centre (Town of Riverview), the Westway Park Master Plan (The Armour Group), the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia public landscape, and the Government of Canada Pension Centre landscape. Its design methodology is grounded in two named contemporary theories — Critical Regionalism and Ecological Urbanism — applied to Atlantic Canadian coastal contexts, and the firm consistently teams with regional architecture, engineering, and construction partners (Acre Architects, MJMA, Englobe, Lindsay Construction, Habit Studio, Bentley Built Homes) on integrated project delivery.

The firm operates as a professional services studio on a project-by-project, quote-based pricing model with no public pricing, no intermediaries, and no franchise or marketplace channels. Revenue is generated through design fees for master planning, site design, and project implementation, sourced through direct engagement, the founders' professional networks, portfolio-website referrals, and academic/speaking engagements throughout the North-east. The 6-person team comprises 2 founding partners, 2 landscape architects (Stephanie Cheng-Kastelic, Karly Do), 1 student intern (Carter Malco), and 1 landscape intern (Emma Marini). The company is incorporated in Canada under the legal name Brackish Design Studio Inc., is founder-owned with no disclosed external investors or parent company, and has no AI/ML, software, or platform technology products — its differentiation rests on human design expertise, regional ecological knowledge, and the founders' academic credentials (Harvard GSD, University of Toronto).

Name

Brackish Design Studio Inc.

Legal name

Brackish Design Studio Inc.

Website

https://brackish.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Brackish Design Studio Inc. is a 6-person boutique landscape architecture firm founded in 2019 in Atlantic Canada, serving private residential estates and public/institutional clients across New Brunswick and Nova Scotia with site-specific, ecologically driven design.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Landscape Architecture Services

NAICS

Landscape Architectural Services (541320), Landscape Architectural Services (54132), Architectural Services (54131)

akta.pro primary industry

Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Urban Planning & Master Planning (BPAHAKAD), Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

Keywords

• Landscape architecture services
• Urban design services
• Residential site design
• Public master planning
• Civic landscape architecture

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint John

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Landscape Architecture Design Services: Professional landscape architecture design services for residential and public/institutional clients across Atlantic Canada. Revenue is generated through design fees for master planning, site design, and project implementation. Projects include private residential estates, public parks, institutional landscapes, and civic/recreational facilities. The studio collaborates with architecture firms, general contractors, and engineering consultants as part of project delivery.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Brackish Design Studio Inc. is a boutique landscape architecture firm that provides professional design services for private residential projects and public/institutional commissions across Atlantic Canada. The studio's work spans master planning, site design, and landscape architecture for private estates, coastal retreats, family homes, civic buildings, public parks, recreation centres, and government facilities. Projects are delivered through collaboration with architecture firms, general contractors, and engineering consultants, and are grounded in the principles of Critical Regionalism and Ecological Urbanism.

Product overview

Brackish Design Studio Inc. is a landscape architecture firm offering two primary service categories: residential landscape architecture for private clients (including coastal retreats, family homes, and rural estates) and public landscape architecture for civic and institutional clients (recreation centers, libraries, parks, and government facilities). The studio was founded in 2019 by Matthew Brown and Sandra Cooke and operates from offices in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, Atlantic Canada.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Residential Landscape Architecture Services Landscape architecture design services for private residential clients, including custom home sites, coastal retreats, family estates, and rural properties across Atlantic Canada. Project work uses native plantings, local materials, and site-specific design to create seamless integration between built structures and the natural landscape, informed by Critical Regionalism and Ecological Urbanism design theories.
• Public Landscape Architecture Services Landscape architecture design services for civic, institutional, and public clients in Atlantic Canada, covering recreation centres, libraries, museums, parks, and government facilities. Services span master planning, site design, ecological infrastructure (bioswales, stormwater management), and community programming, designed to strengthen connections between people and place.

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Habit StudiominorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchitecture firm collaborating with Brackish on the Vineyard House project in Port Williams, NS. Brackish provided landscape architecture services while Habit Studio served as the architecture firm for this residential project.
• Bentley Built HomesminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBuilder/contractor collaborating with Brackish on the Vineyard House project. Brackish provided landscape design services in coordination with Bentley Built Homes as the general contractor for this residential estate.
• Acre ArchitectsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchitecture firm that collaborated with Brackish on multiple projects including The Shore House (Passamaquoddy Bay, NB) and Riverview Recreation Centre (Riverview, NB). Brackish and Acre Architects work in close coordination on landscape and architecture integration.
• MJMAminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchitecture/design firm collaborating with Brackish on the Riverview Recreation Centre project. MJMA provided architecture services while Brackish delivered landscape architecture for this community recreation facility.
• EnglobeminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEngineering and environmental consulting firm collaborating with Brackish on the Riverview Recreation Centre project, providing civil and environmental engineering services in support of the landscape architecture scope.
• Lindsay ConstructionminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConstruction firm serving as general contractor for the Riverview Recreation Centre project. Lindsay Construction works with Brackish to implement landscape designs on the ground for this public community facility.
• The Armour GroupminorOthersReal estate developer and client for the Westway Park Master Plan project in Bedford, NS. The Armour Group commissioned Brackish to develop an exploratory master plan for an underutilized slope adjacent to their proposed high-density residential development.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• PLANT Architect Inc. Toronto-based landscape and architecture studio with a strong design-theory orientation and portfolio of public, residential, and ecological projects. Comparable in academic engagement and design-led boutique positioning.
• Hapa Collaborative: Vancouver-based landscape architecture and urban design studio with a similar small-firm, design-led profile and projects spanning civic, residential, and ecological contexts.
• NAK Design Strategies: Canadian landscape architecture and urban design firm delivering master planning, public realm, and resort-scale projects. Closely comparable in service mix to Brackish's public and residential landscape architecture offering.
• Moriyama & Teshima Planners: Established Canadian landscape architecture and planning firm with national scope. Stephanie Cheng-Kastelic previously worked there, and the firm's portfolio of civic and cultural landscapes parallels Brackish's public-sector work.
• DTAH: Toronto-based landscape architecture, urban design, and architecture practice with a comparable mix of public, institutional, and private residential work in the Canadian market.
• Stimson: Boston-based landscape architecture and urban design practice where Matthew Brown spent seven years. Operates in a comparable boutique high-design mode with academic engagement and a regional-identity-driven portfolio.
• Janet Rosenberg & Studio: Toronto-based landscape architecture studio where both Brackish co-founders previously worked. Operates as a mid-size Canadian design practice spanning public realm, residential, and institutional projects, making it a direct comparable in scale, discipline, and design philosophy.
• PMA Landscape Architects: Canadian landscape architecture firm with offices across multiple provinces and projects spanning parks, campuses, and urban regeneration. Comparable in service breadth and public-sector focus to Brackish's institutional practice.
• PUBLIC WORK: Toronto-based landscape architecture and urban design studio focused on public realm and culturally rooted design. Similar boutique scale, design-led positioning, and integration of theory into practice.

Broad incumbents

• The Planning Partnership: Larger Canadian landscape architecture, urban design, and planning firm operating nationally with deep public-sector relationships. Comparable discipline but operates at materially greater scale than Brackish.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Brackish Design Studio Inc.